Are the Nazca Lines Worth Visiting?

Are you planning a trip to Peru and wondering if you should bother with a trip to Nazca to see the Nazca Lines? And more importantly, if you do visit Nazca, do you need to book a Nazca Lines flight in order to see the ancient drawings?

Ever since I read about the Nazca Lines in a fantasy book when I was a kid, I had been wanting to see them for myself.

Finally, when my friend Candace asked me to host an all girls Salkantay Trek, I got my chance. After our trek, Candace and I decided to stay in Huacachina for a couple of nights, so I tacked on a day to Nazca to see the Nazca Lines.

In this guide, I’ll tell you about my full experience, whether or not I think Nazca is worth visiting and I’ll also explain the difference between taking the Nazca Lines flight and seeing the lines from the viewing tower.

Everything You Need to Know About Visiting the Nazca Lines

Is a Nazca Lines Flight Worth It?

The Nazca Lines are for you if you appreciate history mixed with a bit of adventure. The story behind how the lines came to be is truly fascinating and quite mysterious. Listening to the stories from the guides gave me chills at certain points.

If you want to see the Nazca Lines, you don’t have to do the flight tour, however, I do highly recommend it as you get to see all of the most famous lines from the sky, including the hummingbird, the astronaut (my personal favourite), the dog, the monkey and more.

Without a flight, there isn’t any way to see these specific drawings, however, you can still see other drawings if you visit the scenic tower.

Personally, after taking the trip myself, if you want to go all of the way to Nazca to see the Nazca Lines, I recommend doing both the flight and the observation tower to make the day out there 100% worth it.

So if you are anything like me and love hearing mysterious and chilling stories about ancient civilisations, then yes, I absolutely say visiting the Nazca Lines is worth it and the Nazca Lines flight is even more worth it!

My full day experience visiting Nazca and the Nazca Lines

Visiting the Nazca Lines was something that I had on my Peru bucket list for a long time. The first time that I visited Peru, I didn’t get the chance because it is a little out of the way if you just plan on going to Cusco.

The second time I visited Peru, I was able to fit in a trip to Huacachina and from there, a day trip out to see the Nazca Lines.

I booked my Nazca Flight ticket separately to my transportation return to Huacachina which I got through Nazca Shuttle. The transport also included a stop at the observation tour which was great!

The shuttle picked us up from Wild Rover Hostel in Huacachina at 7am and was USD40 per person for a return ticket to Huacachina. It was like a mini tour in itself because there was a very knowledgeable guide up the front telling us all about the Nazca Lines.

The first stop of the day was to see some Nazca lines from the side of the highway. This was before the observation tower and was an unexpected surprise. We stopped for about 5-10 minutes and were able to get out of the bus to take photos.

The next stop was the Scenic Tower (or observation deck) where we could see the following drawings:

• The Tree
• The Hands
• The Lizard

From the observation deck you can see these lines from the side rather than from directly above like you can when you are on the flight tour.

After the observation deck, we headed straight to the airport to check for our flights. One thing I noticed was that everyone on our bus had chosen to do the flight.

On the flight, you can’t bring a backpack and are only allowed a very small sling bag to hold your belongings and a camera. The reason for this is that the plane is TINY.

You will also need your passport to check in with and some cash to pay the airport taxes and tourist surcharge.

Once you’ve checked in and everything is paid, you’ll go into a waiting room, where your shuttle bus guide will help to organise everyone and call you up once it’s your turn.

When we walked out onto the air strip, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. I’d never been in a plane this small before and it was a little terrifying! I took a Gravel pill to help with motion sickness and I’m so glad I did because the feeling of being in such a small plane was quite intense!

Best way to see the Nazca Lines

By scenic flight

The only way to see the most famous Nazca Lines in person such as the Dog, the Monkey, the Hummingbird and the Astronaut is by taking the Nazca Lines Flight Tour.

The flight costs around $125 per person and last 35 minutes. Before you board, you’ll be given a map and a explanation of each of the drawings that you are going to see and then during the flight, the pilot will circle each of the drawings so that everyone can see them from each side of the plane.

If you would prefer not to take the flight, you can visit one of the movie theatres in town to see the same Nazca Lines.

From the observation tower

The observation tower is along the way to Nazca and from the top of the steep stair climb, you’ll see some of the other, less famous Nazca Lines such as The Hands, The Lizard and the Tree.

Most Nazca Day Trip tours from Lima or anywhere else will include this stop as part of their Nazca Lines tour.

From nearby viewpoints

There are also some drawings of the Royal Family that you can see from the bus on the side of the highway. They are engraved into the cliffside, just North of the other lines and features roughly eight human figures representing a ruling lineage or local leader.

These specific lines are thought to be created by the Paracas culture, approximately 1,000 years before the classic Nazca Lines. How wild!

From Huacachina: What I personally did + cheapest and easiest for my itinerary

I chose to see the Nazca Lines from Huacachina. The most affordable way to visit Nazca from Huacachina is to book the Nazca Shuttle which is USD40 per person return and includes a stop at the Viewing Platform. Then you can book additional tours such as the Nazca Flight (this is what I did), the Chauchilla Cemetery Tour or the Ancient Aqueducts tour.

From Paracas: Best if you are already visiting Paracas and want to continue South

If you are staying in Paracas, you can travel directly from Paracas to Nazca by bus. The bus ride takes around 4 hours. This is a good option if you want to stay the night in Nazca without backtracking to Huacachina or Lima.

Is the Nazca Lines Flight Safe?

Safety is understandably one of the largest concerns when considering a Nazca Lines flight. This was one of the things that I myself was worried about before booking.

During my flight, I felt comfortable with the experience, if not a little nervous. However, taking a small aircraft over the Nazca Lines does involve some inherent risk, as with any sightseeing flight. Weather is particularly important because strong winds and poor visibility can lead to flights being delayed or suspended.

Is the Nazca Lines Flight Scary?

I did find the Nazca Lines Flight a little scary. It was the smallest plane I have ever flown in but it was totally worth it. The pilots are very good and take people out on these planes multiple times per day so they are no strangers to flying.

What to pack when visiting the Nazca Lines

• sunglasses
• passport
• water
• sunscreen
• motion sickness tablets
• camera
• cash

Final Thoughts: Would I visit the Nazca Lines again?

The Nazca Lines, in my opinion are a one and done kind of experience, but if I was going back again for the first time knowing what the experience would be like, then I would 1000% visit Nazca and see the lines via the flight.

It was such a unique experience and one that I will never forget.